Alpine Backpacking, River Navigation, Service, Whitewater Rafting
PRICE
$8,100
PROGRAM
High School
AGES
16-18
LENGTH
30 Days
SEASON(S)
Summer
SKILLS
TECHNICAL
Basic Paddle Strokes
Belaying a Climber
Campcraft
Knots
Leave No Trace Methods & Ethics
Map and Compass
Navigation
Rappelling
River Reading
INTERPERSONAL
Camaraderie
Character
Communication
Conflict Resolution
Empathy
Independence
Leadership
Positive Risk Taking
Problem Solving
Resilience
Responsibility
Self Awareness
Self Confidence
Service
SHARE
Course Stories
"I initially came to this course for the purpose of building my own emotional and physical strength, but I left with the realization that it is not my own strength I should work to better. It is the strength of the people around you that you must improve and fortify … through interactions and words." – Aidan
Challenge yourself physically and mentally while exploring an amazing wilderness areas.
The Oregon Rafting, Mountaineering & Rock Climbing course offers students an opportunity to challenge themselves physically and mentally while exploring amazing wilderness areas. The first days of your trip will be spent building critical skills in teamwork and outdoor skills. At the world famous Smith Rock State Park, you’ll learn climbing techniques, as well as the basic gear, knots and rope systems that keep you safe amidst the towering geologic formations. Along the wild and scenic Deschutes River, your team will learn paddling methods, river hydrology, raft captaining and self-rescue techniques. The mountain expedition will bring you through diverse mountain habitats among the volcanoes of the Central Cascade Range, putting to use your teamwork and camp craft skills while learning to navigate using a map and compass. The course also includes an emphasis on leadership, character development and an ethic of service. Whether navigating through rapids, paddling into headwinds, or carrying a heavy pack, wilderness travel is demanding. You don’t need to have any previous experience but arriving physically fit and excited for the opportunity for personal development will enhance your experience and allow you to take full advantage of the expedition.
NOTE: For the health and safety of students and staff in the COVID-19 pandemic, students may be required to travel to course start by private transportation. Please work directly with your Course Advisor for your course for the most up-to-date and regionally-focused travel options. All students and staff must provide a current negative COVID-19 viral test result before arrival to course and/or consent to having a COVID-19 test administered at course start. Outward Bound requires students and staff to follow COVID-19 protocols for 14 days prior to course start and while traveling including physical distancing, wearing a mask in public, and frequent and thorough handwashing.For complete “Health and Safety Practices for Outward Bound Expeditions,” click here.
This course starts within the next week. Please call us at 866-467-7651 to assess the possibility of applying for this course!
Outcomes
Outward Bound promotes character development, leadership, and service in the most engaging classroom possible … the wilderness. In real time, students experience the effects of their decisions on themselves and the other members of their group as they work to complete difficult tasks necessary for wilderness travel. Instructors challenge students to try new things and step outside their comfort zones, as well as provide feedback that students implement on course and when they return to their communities.
Photo courtesy
of Alice Burgess
Photo courtesy
of Colby Blue
Photo courtesy
of Colby Blue
Photo courtesy
of Alice Burgess
Photo courtesy
of Colby Blue
Photo courtesy
of Colby Blue
Photo courtesy
of Alice Burgess
Photo courtesy
of Colby Blue
Rafting
Students will travel on the river in four to six-person paddle rafts, and learn to “captain” (maneuver) their paddle raft team through Class II to III rapids. After lessons in basic river travel and safety, students will learn to read currents, anticipate obstacles, and scout rapids. Students will also learn river hydrology, swimming in currents, and paddle techniques. There may also be an opportunity for short day hikes.
Photo courtesy
of David Moskowitz
Mountaineering
Mountaineering courses move through high mountain terrain and focus on preparation for a peak attempt that may require the use of ropes, technical equipment, and possibly rock climbing or snow travel. Students will start by learning backpacking skills, map and compass navigation, and campsite selection, and progress to basic mountaineering skills. The instructor-to-student ratio is never more than 1:5 during this section, allowing for personal coaching on the physical techniques of mountaineering, as well as tailoring the curriculum to the interests and aptitudes of individual course participants.
Photo courtesy
of Colby Blue
Photo courtesy
of Alice Burgess
Photo courtesy
of Colby Blue
Photo courtesy
of Alice Burgess
Photo courtesy
of Alice Burgess
Photo courtesy
of Colby Blue
Photo courtesy
of Alice Burgess
Photo courtesy
of Colby Blue
Photo courtesy
of Justin Hall
Rock Climbing
Students will receive individual instruction and test their skills against the vertical cracks, steep faces and boulders of Smith Rock State Park. Among the skills students will learn are: basic climbing equipment, rope management, wearing harnesses, tying knots, belaying and rappelling techniques, and movement on rock.
Service
Service to others and to our environment is a core value of Outward Bound and is integrated into each course. Groups follow Leave No Trace ethics as they engage in acts of service while leading and supporting fellow participants. Designated service projects are coordinated with land managers like the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service to collaborate on land restoration projects. Additionally, students may have the opportunity to work alongside select social service agencies like nursing homes, hospitals, and organic farms. Students see the impact of their actions firsthand, and may develop a desire to continue service in their home communities.
Photo courtesy
of Luke O'Neill
Solo
In order for profound learning to take place, students spend time reflecting on their experience, and Solo is that opportunity. The Solo experience provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. With sufficient food and equipment, students will set up camp at sites of their own, using the wilderness skills learned during the first portions of the course. The amount of time students spend on Solo is based on course length, weather, student condition, age, and Instructor preference. Solo campsites are chosen to offer as much solitude as possible (yet be within emergency whistle-signaling distance of other group members). Most students spend their Solo time journaling, drawing, reflecting, thinking and resting as they process lessons of the course to focus on their goals for the future. Instructors check on each participant at regular intervals, as safety is always a top priority.
Final Expedition
Outward Bound believes that an appropriate amount of independence is a powerful educational tool. During the travel sections of this course, Outward Bound instructors purposefully and gradually transfer certain leadership responsibilities to the students culminating with our “Final Expedition.” Near the end of course—if the group has demonstrated the necessary leadership, team problem solving and wilderness living skills—students may have the opportunity to travel without instructors immediately present. Many of our students feel this phase of the course is the most rewarding, as the group learns to work as a team, problem solve, and accomplish a goal independently, while utilizing all the skills they have acquired.
Personal Challenge Event
We typically end our courses with a Challenge Event—an individual final physical push. This typically takes the form of an endurance run or triathlon-style challenge
Photo courtesy
of Ari Kosal
Photo courtesy
of Ari Kosal
Course Area
Central Cascades, Oregon
Volcanoes dot the spine of the Cascade Mountains, rising over 10,000 feet above the forests, lakes, and rivers of the surrounding region. The Central Cascade Range is home to the Three Sisters, Broken Top, Mt. Washington, Three Fingered Jack, and Mt. Jefferson. Active glaciers, traces of avalanches, and the volcanoes themselves are the perfect setting for learning the more technical aspects of mountaineering and backpacking. Depending upon the peak, your summit attempt may necessitate glacier and roped-team travel. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Yoncalla, Molalla, Kalapuya, Tenino and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs nations.
Deschutes River, Oregon
The Deschutes River is part of the national Wild & Scenic Rivers System, flowing north from the Oregon Cascades to the Columbia River and then on to the Pacific Ocean. Courses generally travel anywhere from fifty to one hundred miles along the Lower Deschutes. The rapids on the Deschutes are rated to class IV, mostly class II-III. The group camps each night along the banks of the river. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the Tenino nations.
Smith Rock State Park, Oregon
Smith Rock State Park is a world-renowned climbing destination that attracts climbers of every ability level. The Crooked River winds its way through the canyon, and to the west, the snow-capped volcanoes of the Cascade Range rise on the horizon. One of the most striking features is a prominent spire, Monkey Face. Given the dry and temperate climate, rock climbing is feasible most of the year. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the Tenino nations.
Final Challenge Event, de-issue gear, graduation and celebration
DAY 30
Course end, transportation home
Course Stories
"I initially came to this course for the purpose of building my own emotional and physical strength, but I left with the realization that it is not my own strength I should work to better. It is the strength of the people around you that you must improve and fortify … through interactions and words." – Aidan
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.